Zelenskyy addresses Ukrainians regarding peace plan: Country facing one of its toughest moments
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed all Ukrainians regarding the US peace plan. He emphasized that the country may currently face a very difficult choice.
"Right now is one of the most difficult moments in our history. The pressure on Ukraine is at its peak. The country may face a very tough choice: either a loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner," the president said.
Choice was made on May 20, 2019
Zelenskyy spoke about the choice — either "the challenging 28 points, or an extremely harsh winter, the hardest yet, along with further risks." He emphasized that he answered this question on May 20, 2019, during his oath of office to Ukraine, when he pledged to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence and uphold the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
"Every day, in every word, I remain faithful. I will never betray it. The national interest of Ukraine must be taken into account. We are not making loud statements. We will work calmly with the US and all partners," the president stressed.
He announced efforts to seek solutions with the US and noted that he would propose alternatives and fight to ensure that "at least two points of the plan are not overlooked."
"We will not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is derailing the process, or that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy. That will not happen. Ukraine will act swiftly," the Ukrainian leader stated.
Ukraine is the shield for Europe
Zelenskyy emphasized that he will do everything to bring about an end to the war. He reminded that Ukraine is currently "the only shield" separating a comfortable European life from the plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Ukraine must not experience a déjà vu of February 24, when it felt like we were alone. When no one could stop Russia except our heroic people, who stood like a wall against Putin’s army," his statement reads.
Resisting one of the largest armies in the world
The president of Ukraine stressed that the world must understand that Ukrainians are, first and foremost, human beings, and for nearly four years of full-scale war, they have held back one of the largest armies in the world.
"We hold the front line stretching thousands of kilometers, and every night our people endure shelling, missile attacks, ballistic strikes, and Shahed drone attacks. Every day, they lose loved ones, and our people desperately want the war to end," the country’s leader said.
Zelenskyy called on people to remember the first day of the war, when most citizens chose in favor of Ukraine.
"The enemy did not see our backs running away. He saw our eyes, full of readiness to fight for what is ours. This is dignity. This is freedom. And this is truly the most frightening thing for Russia — to see the unity of Ukrainians," the president emphasized.
What is known about the US peace plan
The new US peace plan consists of 28 points. It proposes handing over parts of the Donbas to Russia in exchange for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the EU, reducing the size of the army, renouncing long-range weapons, and more.
Today, November 21, Sky News sources reported that Zelenskyy and Trump will hold a phone call about the plan next week.
Reuters, citing sources, reported that the US threatened Ukraine with a halt to arms supplies and intelligence sharing to pressure it into signing the peace agreement by November 27.
